Young journalists turn their backs on US newspapers

US newspapers are losing many of their youngest reporters, editors and photographers at the very moment when publishers are trying to learn new tricks on the internet.

The trend, which emerged in a survey conducted by the Associated Press Managing Editors (APME), suggests that staff cuts are making it even more difficult for the newspaper industry to adapt and remain relevant in the age of digital media.

Retaining younger workers may well be crucial because they have grown up with the internet and have technological skills and knowledge that many veteran journalists cannot match.

Young people are also aware of newer digital developments. For example, the Huntsville Times in Alabama has been relying on its younger reporters to help teach everyone else in the newsroom how to tap into popular sites like Facebook and MySpace to find story ideas and sources.

The paper's managing editor, Curtis Coghlan, says: "It really has helped our coverage become younger (in tone) and more in touch with what's going on in the community. It has really helped us get more diverse stories into the paper faster."

But why are the young going when publishers usually offer redundancy packages first to their older staff? Newspaper analyst Ken Doctor believes union rules sometimes handcuff managements by sticking to last-in-first-out agreements.

Then there is the problem of recruitment. Persuading current and prospective workers that newspapers remain an attractive career option is getting more difficult as the industry's financial woes mount.

With less money coming into newspapers, a large number of employees are seeking better opportunities in other industries that offer more job security, according to the survey.

"Newspapers have lost of lot of their mojo," says Doctor. "If you are 25 or 35 (years old), you are going to be part of an industry that is going to thrive in the future. That is not the way newspapers are perceived right now, rightly or wrongly."

Many editors responding to the APME survey also referred to lengthy freezes on pay and hiring as having made editorial jobs less enjoyable.

To lure and retain workers, newspaper publishers "should increase their pay and benefits and treat people with kindness and dignity," wrote Kristen Mustain, editor of The Grove Sun in Oklahoma.

Of course, Britain's National Union of Journalists has been saying that for years, and with increasing passion of late. Cost-cutting has reduced wages - and, incidentally, contributors' payments - to such a degree that newspaper journalism is less and less attractive for the young.